Opera’s Big Trend for 2014: Go French

It’s no secret the major labels like to stack up their albums close to one another in release schedule in a battle of who’s better. We saw it last year with multiple all Verdi-programs from Anna Netrebko, Placido Domingo, and Jonas Kaufmann. This year in the absence of a composer anniversary (or one we’re waiting to get magically blinded by in a deluge of press releases), opera performers have turned to another gimmick they can all play ball against one another – all “francais” programs!

Why? Who knows, it probably just sounds like a sexy idea.

We saw an all-French program released earlier this year by Peruvian heartthrob Juan Diego Flórez on his first new album in four years L’Amour, and now following suit from Italian tenor Vittorio Grigòlo on his upcoming album The Romantic Hero.

Stallion or the young buck. Who’ll be better? Gotta love these matchups that labels love to play.